Aleutian Islands 2023 Report Card (pdf)
For more information on individual Report Card Indicators, please see Description of Report Card indicators (p. 87). For more information on the methods for plotting the Report Card indicators, please see "Methods Description for Report Card Indicators" (p. 92).
* indicates Report Card information updated with 2023 data
To highlight the spatial dynamics and east to west gradients characterizing the Aleutian Islands, we divide the ecosystem into three ecoregions: the Western, Central and Eastern Aleutian Islands.
Region-wide
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The North Pacific Index (NPI) effectively represents the state of the Aleutian Low. Above (below) average winter (November - March) NPI values imply a weak (strong) Aleutian Low and generally calmer (stormier) conditions. The NPI has been positive during 6 of the last 7 winters, with the exception being the winter of 2018-2019. The systematically positive state of the NPI (i.e., weak Aleutian Low) is consistent with the overall decline in the PDO during the interval.
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The Aleutians Islands region was relatively stormy during the winter of 2022-23 and summer of 2023. The cooler conditions during 2023 were accompanied by greater upper mixed layer depths than during 2022. Much of the past year included wind anomalies of the sense associated with suppressed northward flow through Unimak Pass.
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Western Aleutian Islands
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The reproductive success of least, whiskered and crested auklets, planktivorous seabirds at Buldir Island was average while parakeet auklets had below the longterm average reproductive success. This indicates overall zooplankton availability was sufficient to support seabird reproductive success in 2023 and potentially other plankton eating commercial groundfish species, although not as good as in 2022 when reproductive success was average to above the longterm average for all seabirds..
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Forage fish trends, as indicated by their percent in the composition of tufted puffin chick meals, have varied over time, with episodic peaks lasting 1–2 years. In general, Ammodytes (sand lance) stayed close to the time series mean with values similar to those in 2022; age-0 gadids (pollock mostly), also stayed close to the time series average after the 2021 peak; and hexagrammids (primarily Atka mackerel) were below the time series mean, decreasing from last year. We note tufted puffins had above average reproductive success and fed mostly on squid and Pacific saury, thus signaling potentially favorable conditions for fish foragers though not as favorable as last year. Not shown here, squid comprised 63% (percent by weight) and Pacific saury 18% of tufted puffin chick meals. Likewise, 43% of horned puffin chick meals were Atka mackerel and 30% squid. Surface feeders eating fish and invertebrates (fork-tailed stom-petrels, kittiwakes) and diving feeders (thick billed murres and parakeet auklets feeding on fish and zooplankton repectively) had below average reproductive success. There were no seabird diets collected in 2020.
Central Aleutian Islands
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School enrollment bottomed out in Alaska during 2020-2021, and it has continued decreasing through the 2022-2023 school year driven by decreased enrollment in Adak; school enrollment decreased from 13 to 5. Alaska schools need at least ten students to qualify for state funding. Amid rising operating costs and flat funding in general, small schools like those at Adak and Atka are at increasing risk of closure. Enrollment at Atka increased from 10 to 11. Decreasing enrollment trends impact the stability to families living in those communities. This indicator is updated annually with data from the previous year.
Eastern Aleutian Islands
- As indicated by their percent in the composition of tufted puffin chick meals forage fish were abundant and mostly capelin. Ammodytes (sand lance) and gadids were below the time-series mean, a were gadids (pollock) and hexamgrammids (Atka mackerel) remained close to the time series mean. Gadids were more common through the 1990s while hexagrammids are uncommon in this region. There were no seabird diets collected in 2020.
- School enrollment fell for the third year in a row. This is the lowest on the time series and is driven by the trend at Unalaska Elementary. Enrollemnt at the elementary school peaked in 2020 at 238 student compared to the current 176s. The small communities have either closed schools (Nikolski, in 2009) or are at risk of closure if they fall under the 10 student threshold (False Pass with 11 students and Akutan with 20). As in the case in the central Aleutians, decreasing enrollment trends impact the stability of families living in those communities. This indicator is updated annually with data from the previous year.
*North Pacific Index (Nov-Mar average) |
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*Western AI Least Auklet reproductive success |
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download data(.csv) | *Western AI Crested Auklet reproductive success |
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download data(.csv) | *Western AI Ammodytes in Tufted Puffin diet |
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download data(.csv) | *Western AI Gadids in Tufted Puffin diet |
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download data(.csv) | *Western AI Hexagrammids in Tufted Puffin diet |
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download data(.csv) | Western AI Pelagic Forager Biomass |
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download data(.csv) | Western AI Apex Predator Biomass |
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download data(.csv) | Western AI SSL non pup counts |
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download data(.csv) | Western AI Habitat Impacted by Trawls |
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download data(.csv) |
Figure 1: Region-wide and Western Aleutian Islands indicators. *indicates time series updated with
2023 data
Figure 2: Central Aleutian Islands indicators. * indicates time series updated with 2023 data.
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increase by 1 s.d. over time window
1 s.d. below mean